Popular Mechanics

So does the child get ripped in half and die or what? I didn't like how the ending of the story just trailed off and left the reader guessing what happens. I think this short story is very ironic. The two spouses are fighting and are going through some serious turmoil, but I think that they are too focused on defeated and outscoring the other one. It's ironic that they stoop so low to fighting over their child. By doing this, they are showing their concern for themselves and self-absorption rather than concern for the well-being and happiness of the child. The parents both think that they deserve the child, but are careless while trying to get the child. I think the symbolism in the argument over the child shows the child as an object of victory and possession, rather than a human being. The circumstances of bad family life and relationships in this story can also be tied back to their author, who experienced the terror of divorce first hand during his life.